Before the trade deadline passed, the Boston Celtics had one final choice to make on the franchise’s future: In a three-way deal that would’ve secured Josh Smith and surrendered Paul Pierce to Dallas, Atlanta wanted Boston’s first-round draft pick, too….

Nevertheless, Boston wouldn’t relent on the pick and the deal died on meeting-room grease boards in three cities.

Dallas with a season of Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki together next season, working in a rotation with Vince Carter, would have been interesting but a little old in a West with the Thunder on top. But that deal would have fit with their plan of shorter term deals (Pierce has one year after this). Atlanta would have gotten some more pieces for its rebuilding effort.

But the Celtics are 13-4 since Rajon Rondo went down, standing pat has worked out. Besides, is a Rondo pairing with Josh Smith — who expects to get a max contract offer this summer — really a reboot that works in Boston? That strikes me as a team that is good, not great (unless the hope is Josh Smith could help lure Dwight Howard out of Los Angeles, and now we’re talking two new max deals the Celtics can’t afford). And Kevin Garnett may well have looked at the Rondo/Smith pairing and thought being with the Clippers didn’t look so bad.

But the Celtics are 13-4 since Rajon Rondo went down, you

It’s all speculation now, the deal never went down. Which is probably best in Boston.